VergiftungvsVerhaftungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Vergiftung” and “Verhaftung” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#22,947
“Vergiftung” frequency rank
#10,961
“Verhaftung” frequency rank
33908
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Vergiftung Verhaftung
Definition körperliche Schädigung durch Einnahme von Gift Vollzug eines Haftbefehls, Führung in Polizeigewahrsam

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Vergiftung and Verhaftung apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Vergiftung
10 ch
Verhaftung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Vergiftung ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ]) and Verhaftung ([fɛɐ̯ˈhaftʊŋ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33908, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Vergiftung is recorded at frequency rank #22,947, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ]. Verhaftung is at rank #10,961, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhaftʊŋ].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 33908, this pair ranks #1,675,367 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Vergiftung vs Verhaftung

Shared letters: efgnrtuv. Private to "Vergiftung": i. Private to "Verhaftung": ah.

"Vergiftung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC  ·  "Verhaftung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Vergiftungevrgiftung · vegriftung · vergfitung · verggiftung · vergifftung · vergiftnug · vergifttung · vergiftugn
  • Verhaftungevrhaftung · vehraftung · verahftung · verhafftung · verhaftnug · verhafttung · verhaftugn · verhaftungg

Frequency comparison

Vergiftung#22,947
Verhaftung#10,961

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Vergiftung" and "Verhaftung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈhaftʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Vergiftung" or "Verhaftung"?
"Verhaftung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,961 in our German list, against #22,947 for "Vergiftung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Vergiftung vs Verhaftung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Vergiftung” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list